Patricia A. Stokowski - Riches and regrets: betting on gambling in two Colorado mountain towns

In the history of Central City and Black Hawk, Colorado, there have been three great moments exceeding all capacity for imagination and prediction: the discovery of gold in 1859; the renewal of Central Citys opera in 1932; and the opening of casino gaming in 1991. Gambling was adopted to stimulate the local economy and bring new riches to the Gilpin County towns, replicating the accomplishments of previous mining and opera times. Yet, it was not long after gambling was approved that residents began expressing regrets over what they had lost in the transformation of their community. In Riches and Regrets, Patricia Stokowski traces the development of contemporary Gilpin County gambling from the proposal and campaign stage in 1989 and 1990, through the construction period leading to the opening of casinos in October 1991, and across several years of post-opening impacts. Combining critical historical perspectives with sociological analyses, Stokowski documents the economic, social, cultural, and institutional effects of the gaming development, concluding that gambling has produced mixed results for the Gilpin County towns. With gambling becoming increasingly popular as an economic development strategy in both rural and urban communities across America, Riches and Regrets can provide lessons for other communities seeking their own golden dreams at the card tables and slot machines.